This project is designed to test the hypothesis that patients with cachexia, characterized by low lean body mass, anemia, hypoalbuminemia and/or hypocholesterolemia have impaired cell growth and metabolism because of low levels of a cellular growth factor, elevated levels of an inhibitory factor or low circulating lipoprotein levels. In in vitro systems using fibroblast cell proliferation, measured by 3H-thymidine incorporation into DNA, is being used to assay plasma and sera from elderly subjects for growth stimulatory or inhibitory levels. This project may give significant insight into the mechanisms causing weight loss and promoting the occurrence of decubitus skin ulcers in the elderly.